Jeff B.
Yelp
(Snacked 01/13/16 W @ 5:15pm): Can someone please explain to me the fascination with the combination of Chinese food and donuts being sold at the same place!?
I've been intrigued by Mom's Donuts And Chinese Food To Go long before I moved into Silver Lake almost four years ago. I've driven by it dozens of times throughout the years on my way to the 101 freeway or as I took local streets to avoid said freeway. I was working at a nearby property and just bought what sadly was not winning Powerball lottery tickets next door at Mikron Liquor, so the opportunity presented itself to finally stop and grab an apple fritter. Would I become a regular after this first visit since I'm in the area often!?:
Martinelli's Sparking Apple Juice ($2.00) - Rather pricey, but who didn't love this drink (FYI...try it with vodka!).
Apple Fritter ($1.85) - Not that I was an apple fritter snob - fuck it...yes I was! - but there was a certain way I liked mine. First, the price was higher to other comparable ones I've eaten. Second, this one was thickety-thick-thick, and although not the size of my face (an ode to the great Goldstar Donuts) it was the size of my hand. Third, there was a good amount of apple bits buried in each bite. Fourth, the overall medium brown color reminded me of Roscoe's House Of Chicken & Waffles fried chicken (hmmm...chicken and donuts!)! The extra girth took away some of the crunchy odd crannies, corners, and nooks which I liked to break off into small little morsels. Fifth, it was fairly fresh and warm, there were hints of tiny oil pockets that leaked into your mouth and dripped down your throat, but a tad doughy due to its density. All in all, the price was somewhat prohibitive, but the size and taste made me consider it again. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=XxVpc15NRpj278PVWe7NpA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Coffee Large Size ($1.75) - I didn't drink coffee but my maintenance man did. Treat those who make your life easier with respect and as well as possible!
Glaze Twist ($0.85) - I asked for a small piece of this long twisted doughy treat from my maintenance man. It was good but nothing special.
Service - A sole older Asian gentleman greeted us and patiently waited for us to make our decisions. As he took our order, he was jovial and very salesmanlike as he suggested on a couple occasions if we wanted any Chinese food. Minutes later with drinks and food in our hungry hands we were off on our way. Simple and sweet which was perfectly fine.
Parking (Free) - They shared a small private parking lot with a handful of other businesses within the outdoor strip mall they were located in. Otherwise, there was plenty of free non-metered parking along the main drag of Siiver Lake Blvd. as well as nearby mostly residential side streets.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - A not-so-typical donut/drinks shop with the main features the counter display of fried tasty pastries http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=hO3cyo1uBm7xBA-toSvadg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw as you entered AND a section dedicated to Chinese cafeteria-style take out food http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rdZD6nT75RTVteK3hBC_wQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Hung on the wall behind the counter was a colorful and somewhat easy-to-read visual menu price board for the Chinese food http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=FXoRQWrW_YUBe0LRrUcbWA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw and an old-skool menu price board http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AmTn9be5zWuateoLQp5xsw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw reminiscent of my T-ball and Little League snack shop days. The walls were kept clean of any posters, etc. Surprisingly, no cluttered packaged snacks for sale. A handful of chairs and tables bordered the walls which left a wide empty area in front of the counter http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=U41sRTHbVOjuUZeYYc_Zhw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Both electric ceiling and natural lighting through the surrounding glass windows flooded the place. There were no TVs nor any background music. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=AFHLAi3FTkheD2WOIyetag&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Attire - Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, I was happy I finally tried Mom's Donuts And Chinese Food To Go as I continued on my neverending spontaneous "The Apple Fritter Is Taking Over The World Tour", and just for shits-and-giggles I may return to try their Chinese food for a more complete review. The apple fritter was good but not necessarily enough to come back. I liked the attentive customer service but wished they had boba drinks. I found fairly good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $6.00 BEFORE tip). And, although they accepted credit cards, not mine of choice...AMEX! 3.5 STARS